Structure of the DBL3X-DBL4? region of the VAR2CSA placental malaria vaccine candidate: insight into DBL domain interactions.

ABSTRACT: The human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, is able to evade spleen-mediated clearing from blood stream by sequestering in peripheral organs. This is due to the adhesive properties conferred by the P. falciparum Erythrocyte Membrane Protein 1 (PfEMP1) family exported by the parasite to the surface of infected erythrocytes. Expression of the VAR2CSA variant of PfEMP1 leads to pregnancy-associated malaria, which occurs when infected erythrocytes massively sequester in the placenta by binding to low-sulfated Chondroitin Sulfate A (CSA) present in the intervillous spaces. VAR2CSA is a 350?kDa protein that carries six Duffy-Binding Like (DBL) domains, one Cysteine-rich Inter-Domain Regions (CIDR) and several inter-domain regions. In the present paper, we report for the first time the crystal structure at 2.9?Å of a VAR2CSA double domain, DBL3X-DBL4?, from the FCR3 strain. DBL3X and DBL4? share a large contact interface formed by residues that are invariant or highly conserved in VAR2CSA variants, which suggests that these two central DBL domains (DBL3X-DBL4?) contribute significantly to the structuring of the functional VAR2CSA extracellular region. We have also examined the antigenicity of peptides corresponding to exposed loop regions of the DBL4? structure.

SUBMITTER: Gangnard S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4598876 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature